It was a Monday morning and I was desperate for our weekend visitors to leave so that I could get to work.

My plans were thwarted by my sister-in-law SMcC who insisted on cycling to the outskirts of the city.

I followed her with AS in his borrowed silver open-top BMW. Our job was to tempt S back into town via Leith so that she and AS could gathering their belongings and set off home, and I could get to my office.